Insecurities
by Twisted Puppy
Summary: Grissom is suddenly forced to recall the details of a difficult case when he meets one of the witnesses/vicitms several years later. GSR! Better summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them. I can only wish that I did. I don't make money off of this. I only wish that I could.

**Disclaimer 2**: If I have borrowed from anyone, please let me know and I will gladly give credit where it is due. I do believe this is my own original fiction.

**Summary**: Gil blocks out a particularly difficult case and his memory comes rushing back when he meets one of the witnesses/victims almost ten years later. She remains a constant presence in his life after they meet for the second time. GSR!!!!

**Insecurities **(April'07)

**1983 (Near San Francisco)**

"What's going on?" Asked the young coroner turned CSI and recent transfer from Los Angeles, Gil Grissom. He was approaching his newest scene and saw people in front of it that usually weren't there for a murder investigation.

"The girl won't leave. Child Services is struggling with her. She is very stubborn." The closest officer explained as he watched his coworker try to help get the girl out of the house. The girl was arguing with Connie, the woman from Child Services, and he saw it get physical when Connie's hand touched the girl on the shoulder. Gil decided to interfere otherwise the crime scene would not get processed and evidence could get lost or contaminated.

"Connie, take a break. It will be fine." H assured the frazzled woman.

"Whatever, Grissom." She said and then walked to the edge of the tape.

Gil took a moment to study the girl. She looked to be about ten years old. She was skinny with stringy brown hair. Her face was turned down, but when she looked up he saw brown eyes that revealed a soul which has already seen too much tragedy in this world. She sat on the ground and turned away from everyone. He was beginning to hear the chatter of the gathering neighbors and some of the children were pointing at her. He needed to get her away from this noise. She didn't need to hear it.

"Hi. My name is Gil. What's yours?" He sounded friendly. She turned and took her turn to study him. He maintained a non-threatening posture and made sure to keep a close, yet respectable distance. She said nothing and after a minute, he made a show of putting on his gloves and snapping pictures. He knew she was following him and watching every movement he made.

"What are you doing?" She asked so quietly, he wasn't even sure she opened her mouth.

"I'm documenting the scene. Next, I'm going to take some samples. Want to help me?" She thought about it for a minute.

"Ok." Grissom led her away from the crucial evidence and that became the signal for another CSI to examine and process the body. Sara was eager to learn and caught on quickly.

"What's your name?" Gil asked her after she had just dusted and lifted a fingerprint.

"Sara."

"It suits you." She seemed surprised by his remark. She didn't know what to say.

They finished collecting evidence around the house. He slowly coaxed the story out of her as to what had happened. She said that her mother took a knife and stabbed her father. Sara said that her father hit her and her mother all the time. Sara appeared to trust him. He noticed blood on her clothes that he needed to collect.

"Sara, I will need your clothes because you have blood on them. Hold still so I can take pictures." He instructed her. Sara did as she was told and remained perfectly still until Gil finished.

"You will need to change clothes. Should I get a woman to help you?"

"No. I trust you." Sara said quickly before he could even turn around. She led him back to her room. He shed his jacket.

"Here, you can wear this and put your clothes in this paper bag. You need to leave the door open, but I will turn my back." He turned his back and could hear her rooting around in her room. She came out with clean clothes and his jacket around her shoulders.

"Is that lady going to take me away?" She asked him.

"Yes. She's going to find you a new home to live in."

"I don't want to go with her; she treats me like a baby."

"How old are you?" He asked to see if he was right.

"Twelve."

"I'll tell her. Will that help?" He offered. She shrugged.

"I hope so." She said. Sara handed him two paper bags and followed him back outside. Connie came rushing at them.

"Gil, are you nuts!? You can't let a child into a crime scene!" He felt Sara grab his free hand and slowly move behind him. Her other hand grabbed the shirt at his waist.

"Connie, she's not a child and she was right next to me the entire time." Sara's grip was increasing.

"Gil, she's a minor. Did you process her yourself?" Connie had noticed that Sara had changed her clothes and was now wearing Gil's jacket.

"I gave her the choice and respected her decision. She's in junior high, Connie. I think she's capable of making those decisions for herself." He defended Sara as best he could.

"High school." Sara quietly corrected him. He did his best to turn in her tight grasp.

"What?" He asked her to clarify.

"I'm in high school." She said a little louder and then continued.

"If I have to leave with her, can I at least have my book bag?" She asked him.

"I'll make sure it gets to you in the morning." He assured her.

"I'd like it now, please." Sara stood firm and he got his first glimpse of her stubbornness. Gil sighed, knowing she won't back down until her demands are met.

"Ok. Someone has to go with you though." Sara tugged on his hand. He followed her back to her room and watched her cram the bag as full as she could get it. He told her to pack a suitcase too. He carried her bags and handed them to Connie when they got outside.

Sara watched Connie put her things in the car. She was reluctant to leave Gil's side, But Connie had her stuff. She pulled Gil to the car and when she got there, she surprised him by giving him a tight hug around his waist. He knew she was going to need some serious therapy. Hopefully Connie would put her with a patient family. Climbing into his car after she left, he wondered if he would ever see that fascinating young woman again.

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A/N: So, is it worth continuing? There's only one way I know for sure! Send me reviews!!! Have a great day!! Kelly


	2. Chapter 2: several years later

**(1991- Boston)**

Gil Grissom was in Boston giving an introductory seminar on forensic entomology to a large room of young scientists. He could see that it was clearly time to finish his lecture.

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I will see you all tomorrow." This sentence completed the second of his three day lecture series he had been asked to guest lecture. He had answered the few questions from students that stayed after the lecture to ask. He was on his way out when he caught sight o a young woman still in her chair.

"Excuse me miss, did you have any further questions?" She looked up and locked her eyes with him.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked when she said nothing.

"Yes. Goodnight, Dr. Grissom." She quickly packed her belongings and left. He tried to follow her, but got caught in a throng of students. This was going to puzzle him all night long. He recognized those eyes immediately, but could not remember from where or when he'd seen them before.

The next day, he still had no clue as to her identity. He figured since he lost sleep because of it, he was going to find out. He walked right up to her after he finished for the day.

"Can I talk to you?" She was much faster at getting her things together this time.

"Walk with me. I have to go to work." She said and left the room. He walked silently next to her for a few minutes.

"You still don't know me, do you?" She broke the silence and had a quirky little smile on her face.

"No. I lost sleep trying to figure it out. I recognized your eyes immediately, though I can't for the life of me remember how we met." He confessed.

"We met at my parent's house near San Francisco." Case details came rushing back.

"Sara." was all he said. She nodded mutely.

"I have something for you. Do you have a few minutes to come get it?" She asked him near the campus boundary. He gestured for her to lead him wherever she wanted.

He entered her home after her and was surprised and disappointed in equal parts by what he saw. Her place was immaculate, but the walls were just as bare as the day she moved in, save for a large poster of the periodic table of elements and a dry erase calendar. The only facet of her personality that he could see was the books. There were piles of them everywhere. Some of her books were in better condition than the second hand furniture she owned.

"Wait right here, I'll be out in a few moments." She told him. He sat on the couch anyway. While she was gone, he used this time to recollect and reflect on the case details from eight years previous.

"Here." She startled him out of his thoughts. She presented him with the coat he had given her that night. He rose to meet her and put a hand on the jacket.

"You kept this all these years?"

"Obviously." She answered with a smile.

"I mean, why have you kept it for all this time?" He was completely floored that she'd help onto it for so long.

"It wasn't mine to get rid of." She shrugged the response, but he had a feeling she loved the coat.

"Keep it, I don't work there anymore. I'm in Las Vegas now."

"Oh." She said and she looked crestfallen.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I was hired to work in San Francisco as a CSI. I leave in two more months. I was hoping we would be working together."

"We still might. I get called to consult there about once a year." He couldn't explain why it made his heart fill with joy when she smiled at his words. She put the coat away and snatched her keys.

"I hate to cut our visit short, but I need to go to work." She ushered him out the door.

In an effort to prolong their time together, Grissom walked her to work. They walked slowly as to maximize their time together. Sara was met at the door of the busy coffee shop by her boss and he did not look happy. Sara glanced at her watch and realized she was almost an hour late and had not called. Grissom noticed her slowly edge toward him. She wanted to get behind his back.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sara's boss fumed in front of a room full of customers. Sara didn't answer. She continued her backwards trek. Anyone watching might have thought that she was going back out the door. She grabbed his hand as she had done all those years ago and held on tight as her boss publicly reprimanded her. Gil stepped up.

"It's my fault. Sara is a student of mine and we got carried away in our conversation about my lecture." Sara was now completely behind him at this point. The manager turned his angry eyes on Grissom.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Gil Grissom."

"So what was this lecture about that made her so late?" The man demanded. Sara now had a firm grip on his shirt and his hand.

"Bugs and dead bodies." Grissom answered and was highly amused to see the man pale. It only lasted a few seconds before he reached out to pull Sara away from Gil. He was fast enough that Sara didn't see it coming and therefore her grip wasn't as secure as she thought. Gil tightened his grip on her hand.

"Don't touch her." He growled. The man pulled harder and Sara was yanked behind him and sent off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Sara?" Grissom called. She paused and turned around and instantly Gil saw those twelve year old eyes staring back at him. He held out his hand. Sara knew what this signified as did her boss. Every eye in the place was on the trio waiting for Sara to decide. Grissom waited and just as he was about to give up, she slowly slid her hand into his. Gil gently pulled her to him and guided her back out the front door.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer." These were the last words uttered by Grissom before he guided her out the door.

Back at Sara's place, he held her while they sat on her couch and cried. Suddenly, she crawled in his lap much like a child would. He held her all night as she slept in his arms.

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A/N: I know that this is a major time leap from the first chapter. I'm warning all of you now that there will be angst in this story for most of it, but I think it's coming together nicely. I will post again in the morning. Thank you all so much for the reviews. Please keep them coming. Have a great day!


	3. Chapter 3

**Time leap!!!!! (1993)**

It had been two years since the incident in Boston. In that time, Sara had relocated to Los Angeles after winning her lawsuit. She kept up a regular correspondence with Grissom and often asked more questions than she received when they spoke of work. She was glad that she had him to talk to and he was glad that she felt safe with him. He had secretly been keeping a close eye on her career and was astonished by her solve rate. Neither one noticed that their conversations slowly evolved into the professional arena and leaving the personal behind. He was pleased to get a call requiring his expertise in Los Angeles and eagerly accepted. When he told Sara, she sounded happy and told him she would pick him up at the airport.

What he saw when he arrived angered him. She had several bruises peeking out from under the heavy layer of makeup she used in effort to conceal them.

"Hi Dr. Grissom, how was your flight?" He was confused.

"It's just Grissom, remember? What happened to you?" He was focused on her bruises but made sure to frequently look at her face. She looked away as though she were trying to come up with a decent lie.

"I bruise easily." He frowned.

"In the shape of fingertips on your neck? Come on Sara, what's going on?" As much as he wanted to, he did not touch her.

"It was an accident. Do you need to go to baggage claim?"

"I don't believe you and no I have everything with me." He replied.

"Great, let's go? What hotel are you staying at?" She started to walk and he followed, sill keeping his hands to himself.

"Sara, what happened?" He asked as they stepped outside.

"It's none of your business, alright?!" She snapped at him and walked away briskly. They both knew he was hampered down by his bags.

"Sara, wait!" She slowed, but did not stop.

"I'm sorry Sara; I just don't like to see you hurt." He said when he caught up to her. She said nothing for a while. It wasn't until they were in the car, heading away from the airport that she finally spoke.

"It's not what you think. I know the signs and I'm not stupid."

"Sara, never for one second have I ever thought you were stupid. Has this ever happened before?" She said nothing and he took her silence as confirmation.

"Who did this to you?" He asked after another minute of silence.

"Please stop." She begged.

"No. Who did this to you?" He repeated firmly. She pulled over and turned to him.

"What happens if I tell you everything? Are you going to stick around to bail me out of my personal problems again? I know as soon as you are done on this consult case, you're going back to Vegas and things will just go back to the way they are right now. I'll be fine."

"You've changed. I thought we were friends?" He said quietly.

"Everybody changes. We are still friends and as such, I am asking you to butt out." They both knew she was speaking through fear. She had started driving again as a way to battle the tears that were threatening to fall.

"You leave me no choice. I will respect your decision for now. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm always willing to listen."

"I know." She admitted. She had wanted to call him several times, but couldn't bring herself to follow through. She pulled up to the crime lab and parked the car.

"You didn't tell me where you are staying so we came to work." It was a lame attempt at humor, but he didn't have time to contest her since she had already left the confines and privacy of the car. He had no choice but to follow her. Her sudden cold attitude shocked him as he numbly followed her path. By the time he had signed in and greeted a few former colleagues, Sara was long gone. She'd received an assignment and was now out in the field.

A tall man approached Grissom in the hallway and introduced himself as John Calloway. John had black hair and brown eyes. He was thin, but in shape. Gil thought he had a runner's build.

"Dr. Grissom, thank you for coming out on such short notice. How was your trip?" John asked in professional politeness.

"The flight was uneventful and I always enjoy conversing with Sara." Grissom saw a flash of anger in the younger man's eyes at the mention of Sara's name. John forced a smile.

"I wasn't aware that you knew her. She didn't mention it." Grissom knew that the man is out right lying, and also that this man is the one to hurt his friend.

"I've known Sara for years." Grissom told him honestly. Again the anger flared and Grissom knew without a doubt that his initial gut feeling about this man was correct. John forced a smile.

"Right. Let me take you to your case and we'll get to work." John gestured toward the lab and the two men walked side by side in silence. John led him to the room he had set up for Grissom and excused himself for a while. Gil disregarded it and got right to work.

Hours later, Grissom was ripped from his concentration by what sounded like a very loud argument. He stepped in the hallway looking for the source of the noise.

"What's going on?" He asked some random lab tech.

"John and Sara are fighting again." The tech answered without ever breaking stride.

"Does it happen a lot?" Grissom probed.

"Yes. I sometimes hear about their personal stuff. They're actually fighting about you." Gil was shocked.

"Are they dating?" He asked and suspected the answer.

"You can call it that. He's very controlling of her and she lets him. It's weird because it's only him that she's a doormat for. We're all worried, but no one can say anything. Word travels fast around here and always gets back to him. I'm sure you've seen the results of the last time John thought she was disrespecting him." The tech had paused her work to give her monologue and as soon as she finished, she went right back to work. Grissom had heard enough. He went storming down the hall toward the source of the noise. He burst in the room in time to see John kick her in the stomach when she was already on the ground. Immediately, Grissom had pushed John up against the wall by his throat.

"You asshole! It is not ok to hit anybody. Don't touch her again!" Grissom's grip was firm but would not leave a mark. John smirked.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Sara's knight in shining armor. Are you going to sue me too?"

"I'm thinking about it. I'm definitely reporting you. Have you forgotten that I used to work here? I have friends that could make your life a living hell. Get out of here!" Grissom shoved the man toward the door and blocked any and all access to Sara at the same time.

He closed and locked the door before turning to Sara.

"Are you alright?" He tried to help her up, but she refused his touch.

"I thought I told you to butt out." She snapped.

"It's hard to do when the whole building could hear you arguing. Does he know our entire history?" Grissom kept his voice devoid of anger; though it was very difficult for him.

"We live together. He found my email folder that I keep with all of our correspondence in it. He read them all and forbid me to talk to you again. That was right before he deleted the folder." She leaned against the opposite wall and held her hand on her stomach.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." She said quietly.

"It's alright. I knew it was him as soon as I mentioned your name. You can't go home with him. Promise me you won't." She finally allowed him to help her to sit down.

"I'll try. He always finds me." He sat down next to her.

"You need to know that it's no secret around here what he does to you. I heard it from a lab tech. It bothers me that she treats it like white noise. Are you going to press charges?" He asked.

"I'll think about it. Let's get back to work." He pulled her up and led her to the door.

As soon as the door opened, Sara was in her "safe spot" behind Grissom. She held his hand and clung to his shirt just as she had the two previous times she'd retreated behind him. John came in and attempted to manhandle her away from Grissom. When it was clear to John he wouldn't succeed he tried a different tactic.

"Sara, can I speak to you in private?"

"No."

"Why are you hiding behind him anyway? How old are you?" John said sarcastically.

"I'm twelve. Who are you?" Sara's voice had changed and Grissom knew she literally believed she was twelve years old again. He knew that John had heard the change too and interfered.

"John, take a walk and come back later. Don't argue, just do it." Grissom ordered. John was prepared to wait him out until he saw Sara's eyes peek around his shoulder. He saw very scared eyes looking at him. He left without another word. Grissom turned his head.

"He's gone now." Her grip loosened, but didn't release.

"Thank you. Can I stay with you?" She asked.

"Sure. Let's go." He led her back to his work station. She sat and listened to him while she watched him work.

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A/N: Things will change for our geeks. I told you it was angsty and it will be for another few chapters. I don't particularly like this much angst, but in this case, it's needed and it flows with the story. The reviews are awesome and I love them. I do pay attention to your questions, thoughts and observations because they help me to get better. Please, give me your thoughts and I will continue to share me twistedness with you. :) Have a great day! Kelly


	4. Chapter 4

Sara suddenly changed moods.

"What am I doing in here? I've got work to do." She looked at the table to confirm that this wasn't her work.

"You had a little run in with your boyfriend. I would stay away from him for now." Grissom told her quietly as he watched her. She thought about what he just told her.

"Oh. You bailed me out again. Did I really tell him I was twelve?" Grissom nodded.

"I'm afraid so. I have a personal question for you." Both of them checked the hall to make sure they wouldn't be overheard before he asked,

"Have you had therapy for what you saw as a child?" He whispered the question as a safety measure.

"Some." Sara answered quietly. She thought he was going to judge her and knew he could see it in her eyes.

"Good. Shall we get back to work?" Grissom asked with a smile. Sara returned the smile and released the breath she'd been unaware that she'd been holding. She left the room a few seconds later. Grissom waited a full minute before setting off to find John Calloway.

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"May I speak to you in private?" Grissom asked and it was obvious that his voice was forcibly calm. Wordlessly John led Grissom to his office and shut the door. The door barely clicked in place when Grissom started the interrogation.

"Tell me what you know about Sara."

"She told me what happened in Boston and that you had met years before that."

"Did she tell you the circumstances for how we met?" Grissom probed.

"She told me that you were investigating the death of her father and that you broke protocol by letting her help you." Grissom took in the information presented to him. Sara didn't trust this man and she was right not to.

"That's all true. Let me give you a friendly piece of advice; don't touch her unless she gives you permission. Treat every time like the first time. Did you see what she did earlier?" Grissom referred to the moment Sara used his body as a shield. John nodded.

"That's not the first time she has done that to me. If I find out that you are hurting her, you will have to answer to me." Grissom spoke in a very serious tone from his seat.

"Is that a threat?" John was intrigued and highly offended.

"Think of it more like a promise. She is a good friend and I don't like to see my friends hurt." Grissom stood and walked out of the office muttering something about the 'women in his life'.

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At the end of shift, Grissom was walking out of the lab with Sara when his phone rang.

"Grissom." He answered and looked apologetically at her. Sara just walked a few steps ahead of him to give him privacy.

"Hi." A tearful voice answered him.

"Catherine? What's wrong?" He sounded concerned and Sara hoped he wasn't talking to his girlfriend.

"Eddie."

"Are you ok? Is the baby ok?" He asked.

"We're both fine." She answered quietly. Grissom was very angry.

"He did it again, didn't he?" He growled into the phone.

"He doesn't mean it, Gil."

"You said that the last time. Do something or I will." Grissom threatened over the phone.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You have to figure that out for yourself. You can stay at my place for a few days if you need to. You know what the code is, right?"

"9014, right?"

"Yes. I'll be changing it when I get back too. I want you to know that I am only letting you stay because of the baby. This had gotten old Catherine." Grissom sighed.

"I know. Thank you Gil."

"Get some rest. I'll talk to you later." Grissom hung up and caught up to Sara.

"I'm sorry about that. Are you ready?" Sara answered the question by getting in the car. He told her what hotel he was staying at and other than that, there were no words spoken again until he got out of the car and had his bags.

"Please tell me you're not going home to him."

"I can't." Sara whispered.

"Sara, why are you with him?" It was a question difficult for him to ask and he found it odd that he fought to keep any trace of jealousy or malice out of his voice. Her face fell.

"I don't know anymore." She let a tear escape.

"Would you let me buy you breakfast after I check in? We could talk. Would you like that?" Grissom asked knowing his voice was laced with worry for her safety. She shrugged.

"If you want."

"No. It's what you want. Do you want to go home or would you rather talk for a while? I don't own you; therefore I don't make decisions for you." He said firmly.

"You're right. I'd like to talk. I think I need to." She admitted to her lap. She parked the car while he checked in. they rode the elevator together to put his bags away. In the room, he suggested they order room service to which she agreed. They both had a feeling that tears would be shed during this talk.

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In his room, she sat in a chair facing the window while he used the phone to order breakfast. He ordered a variety of foods that they could pick from and also share. He made coffee in the bathroom from the complimentary supply. He let her sit in peace. He wasn't going to start anything until after the food arrived and they wouldn't be disturbed. She barely acknowledged the coffee he placed in front of her and he attributed it to her being lost in her own thoughts. He observed her and the many sides there were to Sara Sidle.

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"Sara, the food is here."

"Thank you." She said though she barely ate a thing.

"Tell me about John." Grissom asked when it was clear she was done eating.

"He was so sweet in the beginning. It wasn't until after we moved in together six months ago that he started getting possessive. He talked me out of most of my furniture. I quickly learned to hide anything that had value to me. I found the email folder he deleted in the hard drive and printed up each email. After that, I print each one you send immediately. All of those emails, your old jacket, and a few other personal treasures are locked in a safety deposit box at the bank. I don't think he knows about it though. He has somehow manipulated his way into controlling every aspect of my life. He even tells me what to wear." She stopped at this point because the sobs had taken over. When he offered her a tissue, she launched herself into his arms just as she had done in Boston. Again, he fought with his body and ignored the feelings she was igniting in him with her touch. When she began to slow her sobs, he asked,

"Are you happy?" He already knew the answer, but he would be of any further help to her unless she admitted it.

"Not anymore. Someone always manages to take it away." He fought his own tears when he heard this. She sounded as though it were her lot in life to be miserable.

"What are you going to do?" He asked her.

"I'm going to put in for a transfer. I already have the form filled out. It's at the bank. Will you go with me?" Since she was still in his arms, when she looked up and he looked down, there were mere centimeters in the space between their lips. It was extremely difficult for him not to close the tiny gap and taste her for the first time. Instead, he spoke,

"I will. Why don't you use the bathroom to freshen up and we'll go?" She nodded and slowly left his arms. He waited until the door had closed before taking several deep breaths to calm his emotions and his body.

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A/N: I know I have mentioned it before, but there is a lot of angst in this story. It will be GSR and have a happy ending. Show me love; review. Thanks. Have a great day!


	5. Chapter 5

Grissom and Sara had strolled into the lab an hour later. Sara had some make up in her car that she used to cover up the fact that she'd been crying. In his opinion, she'd done a good job too. They walked straight to the lab director's office and knocked on the door.

"Ms. Sidle, how may I help you?" The older man asked her before glancing at her companion.

"Gil? Is that you?" Grissom smiled.

"How are you Benny?" Benny escorted all of them in the office and closed the door before he turned to the duo. He shook hands with Grissom that included a shoulder squeeze signifying a long time friendship. This caused Sara to smile softly. She knew she was in good hands with Grissom by her side.

"I've been better Gil. It's good to see you." Benny answered after all three of them were seated.

"It's good to see you too. Unfortunately, this isn't a social call." Benjamin Shepard was usually a jovial man. Most people referred to him as a skinny Santa Claus. His approachableness and ability to handle all types of people effectively was the driving force behind his rapid ascent to lab director. He'd been holding this position since Grissom was a rookie. However, Gil's comment sobered the man into his 'serious' mode.

"What's going on?" Benny asked the two of them. He wasn't aware that Sara knew Gil, but he was betting that she was learning what a powerful ally he can be.

"We have a problem with John Calloway. I saw him physically assault Ms. Sidle in the lab during the last shift. I intervened with mild force and told him to leave her alone. The lab techs tell me that this isn't the first occurrence either." Benny was red with unleashed fury. He looked at Sara.

"This is a serious accusation. Is this true?" Sara nodded and handed over her transfer request. Benny sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"You're the best CSI that I've got right now. Do you want to transfer or would you prefer him?" He offered, hoping that he could keep her on staff for a little longer.

"I just want to be done. After we leave here, I'm going to get my things and find a new place to live." She looked at Grissom and her face displayed a silent plea for him not to leave her side. He nodded reassuringly.

"I'll do the best that I can to accommodate you." Benny told her right before picking up his phone and calling a detective friend of his.

"Karlson, I need you to pick up John Calloway and bring him in. He is being charged with assault on a CSI." He hung up the phone and returned his gaze back to Sara.

"His career is over if you press charges."

"I am pressing charges. I also need to start over." Benny absorbed her words and knew that there was no way to convince her to stay.

"You're just as good as he is." He said motioning his chin to Grissom.

"It sucked to lose him and will suck to lose you too." He tried for humor. She smiled softly.

"Thank you." She said. Benny looked back to Grissom.

"How is Vegas these days, Gil?"

"It's never boring and always hot." He answered and turned to Sara.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. Let's go." On the way out the door, Gil handed over his cell phone number.

"Please call us when he is in custody and also where Sara will be transferred to so we can get her settled in a new place." Benny nodded and watched the duo leave his office. He promptly got on the phone to call nearby labs.

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Sara waited in Grissom's hotel with him until they knew John was in custody. Grissom urged her to use the bed to take a nap and she finally agreed after ten minutes of pleading. Two hours later, the phone in the hotel room began to ring. Grissom rushed to answer it in hopes that Sara wouldn't wake up.

"Grissom." He answered quietly.

"Gil, its Benny. I'm just letting you know that we have John here at the station."

"Thank you. Do you know where she will be going to yet?"

"Not yet, but I will soon. I'm waiting for a few people to call me back."

"Alright, we'll get her things and a room here at the hotel. Keep in touch." Gil asked.

"I will. Bye Gil."

"Bye Benny." Grissom hung up the phone and saw Sara staring at him. She raised an eyebrow in lieu of verbalizing her question.

"That was Benny. They have John so we can go get your things. He's still waiting to hear back from a few labs before he knows where you'll be transferred to." She nodded and sat up. Without words, both of them put their shoes back on and left the room. It didn't take long to get all of Sara's belongings since she admitted that John got rid of most of her stuff. She wanted to leave the safety deposit box where it was until she knew where she would be moving. Gil managed to change rooms and get an adjoining one to hers on the same floor of the hotel. Gil called his boss in Las Vegas from his hotel room while Sara was in the shower of her own room.

"Brass."

"Hey, it's Gil."

"How's California? Are you almost finished with your case?"

"The case is coming along, but I need to take extra time off after I finish it."

"Why?"

"I need to help a friend. There's been a development here. I can't talk about it."

"How long are we talking?" Brass asked.

"I don't know. I have to help her move as soon as we know where she's been transferred to."

"What happened?"

"I can't talk about it. She needs a friend and trusts me." Gil said.

"Keep me updated and come back as soon as you can." Brass relented. He knows that Grissom is a loyal and trustworthy friend. He won't tell the cause of his friend's distress unless he felt it would be beneficial to her.

"I promise. We should know soon where we have to travel to." Grissom explained and then heard knocking on his door.

"Jim, I need to go. I will call again as soon as I can."

"I'll wait to hear from you. Bye."

"Bye." Grissom hung up and answered the inside door. Sara was freshly showered and holding a plate of food.

"I thought you might be hungry after all that lifting of my luggage you did today." He took the plate an invited her in.

"Let me get my plate and I will be right back." He nodded and waited for her.

"I didn't interrupt your phone call, did I?" She asked after sitting down.

"No, I was just calling my boss to get extra time off. I told him I have a friend that needs my help moving."

"That's it?"

"Yep. That's all he needed to know. I told him you were transferring and as soon as we knew where you are going to be, then I would help you move. Don't worry; I have twelve weeks of vacation time on the books. He'll actually be relieved that HR isn't breathing down his neck for me to use some of it." She smiled.

"Well, I couldn't do this without you. Thank you." She took a bite of the chicken in front of her.

"You're welcome. What are you going to do tonight when I have to go to the lab?"

"I'll stay here and watch a movie or read a book. I can keep busy. Leave your door open in case I need to hide out." It was a subtle hint that she was still worried John might find her. He nodded. They finished the meal in peace laced with easy going conversation. Afterward, Sara retreated back to her own room so Gil could rest before going back to the lab. Sara kept herself busy and even managed to doze off for a little while too. When he left, she glanced in his room and saw that he left several books on the table for her to read. It brought a smile to her face. She settled on his bed and started reading. She ended up falling asleep halfway through the text.

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Grissom arrived at the lab and proceeded to ignore any and all comments about John Calloway's arrest. He heard them mention his name once or twice and also that voices significantly lowered wherever he went. He closed the door to the lab he was in and left them to their gossip. Only when Benny came in, did he realize he'd been hard at work for almost eight hours.

"Hey Benny. What's going on with John?"

"He's spending the night with us. He didn't deny anything, but he didn't admit to anything either."

"Wonderful." Gil said sarcastically.

"What about Sara? She can't live in a hotel room indefinitely." Gil asked immediately.

"I talked to Bob in San Francisco. He has a position on the nightshift open immediately and wants her there. It's hers if she wants it. The only other one available was Seattle. Every lab I talked to wants her, but had no room or budget for her."

"Thank you. I will tell her and call you back with the decision. I am betting that she will go to Frisco." Grissom said as he packed up his things.

"Me too. I will be here all day. Let me know." Grissom shook the man's hand and left again. He was thankful that he was almost finished with the consulting he'd come out to do. Having put his things away, he got in Sara's car, which she lent him, and drove back to the hotel.

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The door clicking unlocked woke Sara from her sleep. She sat bolt upright just as Gil entered his room. He was shocked to see her on his bed but got over it quickly. He saw the open book next to her and figured out how she got there.

"Good morning." He said and closed the door.

"Good morning. Have you heard anything?" She asked immediately.

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A/N: Hello everyone. Thank you all so much for the reviews :) Since this story is so incredibly angsty and will be for a while, I am willing to put up somehting a little more light hearted today. I need to know if you want me to and there's only one way to tell (hint hint hint) Please review for me.


	6. Chapter 6

Gil sat on the bed with her and pushed the book out of the way.

"John is still in jail and Benny was able to find two open positions for you. One is in San Francisco and the other is in Seattle." He told her. She breathed a little sigh of relief upon hearing John was still in jail.

"San Francisco." She said decisively.

"It's the night shift."

"Then it will be easier for us to talk. I won't worry so much about waking you up." She said with a smile that he easily returned. He decided to add to her playful mood.

"Is there any reason in particular that you are on **my** bed?" Her smile widened.

"I was told a cute guy slept in here. Have you seen him?" He playfully shoved her.

"That was low." He failed to keep up his look of hurt.

"You know I'm only kidding. I think you also know why I'm in here." Her serious comment forced a nod from him.

"I do know and it's totally fine. Now, I'm kicking you out so I can get cleaned up before spend all day apartment hunting for you. We have a seven hour drive ahead of us." She nodded.

"I am basically ready to go. How much more work on your case do you have?" He thought about it.

"Not much. Here's an idea, drive me back to the lab and then rent a small trailer. I will transfer my plane tickets and tell Benny your choice. As soon as we're both done, we can go."

"Ok, let's leave in ten minutes. I need clean clothes." Grissom nodded and closed the door of the adjoining room on his side when she left. He took a speedy shower, dressed and packed and was only five minutes late. Sara would come back for luggage when she had the trailer. Grissom was dropped off and stopped by Benny's office to pass on Sara's decision. Benny got on the phone immediately. Grissom went to work on writing up his report. He was almost finished when Sara found him.

"Hey." He flinched and looked up. She smiled softly in apology.

"Hey. Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes. Almost finished?"

"Yes. I'll meet you in Benny's office." Sara nodded and walked away.

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Twenty minutes later, Grissom found Sara in Benny's office as agreed upon. He was giving her a farewell gift and then a hug. They broke apart and noticed Grissom standing there.

"Gil, come on in. Finished?" Gil handed over the completed report. He looked to Sara.

"Are you ready?" She nodded.

"Bye Sara; we'll miss you around here."

"Thanks. I will miss everyone here too. I'm sorry that it had to happen like this."

"Me too. Call me if you need anything and drive safe."

"I will. Bye Benny." She hugged him one last time and took a step to the door. Grissom shook hands one last time. Benny held the grip a second longer.

"I like that girl. A girl like her is rare. Take care of her."

"Benny, I've known that for years. I do what I can to keep her safe." Gil assured his friend. Benny nodded and let them leave.

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Sara let Grissom do the first half of the long drive they had in front of them. After four hours, they pulled over for some lunch and then Sara took over the driving. They spent the night in a hotel and in the morning, went apartment hunting. It had taken all morning for them to find a small one bedroom unit available immediately. It was thirty minutes from the lab, which was fine for Sara. They found some furniture to set up in her place and then Sara went to a local bank while Grissom did some grocery shopping for her. She had four days before she was due to start her new shift. She opened up a new safety deposit box and put her treasures in it. She drove over to the lab to meet her new boss and then went back to her new place. Grissom was in the kitchen cooking something that smelled delicious.

"Hey. What smells so wonderful?"

"Spaghetti with my own homemade sauce. I bought you some cleaning supplies. I have no idea if these are the brands you use though. I got them because it's what I use." He shrugged and turned back to his sauce. She smiled and mentally filed away the new information she had just gathered about him.

"Thank you. I do actually use most of these. I couldn't do this if you weren't here." He turned around and handed her a plate.

"I like knowing that I can help my friends when they need it. It's my pleasure. You'd do the same thing." He shrugged it off.

"Thank you. You're right. I would be there for any of my friends in a heartbeat." Sara sampled the meal he prepared for her.

"MMM, this is sooo gooodd!!" She told him.

"Thank you. Did you know I used to live in this neighborhood?"

"Oh? Where about?"

"About a mile from here. I would have taken you to it, but there were no vacancies."

"Wouldn't that have been funny if I had gotten the same apartment you had like ten years ago?"

"Yes, it would have. What do you say we have some fun tomorrow? We could do a little more decorating or go hang out at the pier?" He suggested. He wasn't going to go back home until after she finished her first shift.

"Sure. It sounds like fun. I'm so tired. Do you want the bed or the pull out couch?" she figured it was the least she could do to offer the bed.

"I'm not taking your bed." He was adamant and started to clean up his mess.

"We'll take turns. I have you here for four more days and I don't want you to wreck you back on that thing." Sara was equally adamant and started to help him by putting the leftovers away. Knowing that neither one of them would win this argument, he conceded to her compromise. They each had their turn in the bathroom and each of them passed out on the bed.

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They had spent the next four days seeing everything San Francisco had to offer. They had fun playing tourist and even had their picture taken with the Golden Gate Bridge as a background. Sara drove him to the airport after her first shift. She was a little sad to see him leave and had a feeling that he wasn't looking forward to going home either, though neither one of them would ever admit it. He promised to call her when he got home so she knew he got there safely. She went home and straight to bed, waiting for his call.

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Brass collected Grissom from the airport. He didn't wait for an invitation from Grissom and instead, followed him in his home.

"So, tell me about this friend." Grissom sighed and started a pot of coffee. Brass wouldn't leave until he had a better answer and both men knew it.

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A/N: I did my job; now you do yours. :)

thank you all so much for the reviews I have recieved so far and I hope they continue. I will be posting a one shot later today that is totally separate from this. Thursdays episode depressed me and I refuse to believe that it really happened. (hope I'm not spoiling anything). Anyway, as soon as I get it back from Wanda, the wonder beta, I will post it. HAve a great day eveeryone!


	7. Chapter 7

Grissom waited until the coffee had finished percolating before joining Brass in the living room. This gave him time to think about how to answer the question. He handed Brass a mug and sat in a chair.

"What do you want to know about her?"

"How'd you meet her?"

"On a case." Grissom was trying to keep specifics out of the conversation.

"She's a CSI?"

"Yes. Look, Brass, I don't really want to share any more details about her. She has a right to privacy. I would do the same thing for you or any of my other friends." Grissom explained in hopes that Brass would drop the subject. Any further conversation was prevented the phone. Grissom too the call and then rushed him and Brass out of the house.

"Gil, what is going on?"

"Catherine is in labor. We need to go. You know Eddie won't be around." Grissom threw a jacket in the back of his car. Brass ran to his own car and drove to the hospital. The two men stayed with her and coached her through labor. Eddie came and went. He told them to call him when the baby was born. Brass and Grissom suppressed their anger to help Catherine. She delivered the Lindsey. Catherine thanked her friends for being there with her. Grissom was simply amazed to see biology in action. He let Catherine rest and told her he would visit again in the morning.

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Upon his arrival at home, his answering machine was blinking to tell him he had a message. He pressed play only to be surrounded by Sara's voice. He called her back before the message even finished.

"Sidle."

"Hi. Sorry I didn't call you earlier."

"I'm just glad you're home safe and sound. Where were you?"

"Catherine called. She went into labor. I was at the hospital with her."

"Congratulations to her. Boy or girl?"

"She had a healthy baby girl. I can already tell that Lindsey will have her mother's looks." He told her and sagged on his bed.

"You were in the delivery room?" Sara sounded surprised by this.

"Yes, I was holding her hand. I didn't look until Lindsey was all the way out."

"You're a good friend. I'm glad you got home in time to be with her. Where was the father?" Sara asked.

"He's…not reliable. He knew and came by. After an hour, he left and told us to call him when the baby got here."

"That's awful!"

"I agree. I don't know what Catherine sees in him. She's too good for him. He's cheating on her too." Grissom explained. He didn't normally divulge other people's personal information, but Sara was easy to talk to and in another state. He knew he could trust her with anything because he saw a lot of qualities in her the he himself possessed.

"How do you know this?"

"I saw him. I was at a club processing a case and saw him getting friendly with a woman that wasn't Catherine. I'm surprised they weren't arrested for what they were doing." Sara gasped.

"You should tell her. I'd want to know." Sara advised.

"I know that I should, but I can't bring myself to do it. Eddie used to be a good friend of mine. I don't like anyone to pry into my life, so I generally stay out of theirs."

"Seems like a good plan. I generally do the same thing. I won't keep you up, I'm sure you're tired." She finished her thought with a yawn.

"You're right and it appears that I'm not the only one. Goodnight Sara."

"Night Griss. Sleep well." She hung up the phone. He thought about the shortened name shed just used. He decided he liked it and then went to bed as well.

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Two years had passed since Gil helped to relocate Sara. He kept up almost daily conversations with her and made sure they weren't strictly professional. He wanted to know what was going on in her life. He asked questions that he would feel comfortable answering if she turned the tables. She usually threw him for a loop though. They usually had breakfast together over the phone before going to bed. He got home and called her right away.

"Sidle."

"Hey."

"Hi! What's up?"

"I just want you to know that I may have to change our daily chat time."

"Why?" She asked.

"You remember me telling you about Catherine?"

"Yes."

"Well, she finally found out about her husband's infidelity. She and her daughter will be temporarily living with me. She filed for divorce and since he spent all their money, she needs a place to stay while she saves a few pay checks."

"Oh. You told her?"

"No. She caught him. I think she knows that I knew what was going on. She isn't saying anything because I'm letting her live here for a month or two." He explained.

"I'm sorry, but how does that stop you from talking to me?"

"I told you a long time ago. I like to keep my private life private. She may be living here, but she won't stop me from keeping certain things to myself. I've already rearranged several things and put a lock on my bedroom door to protect them from her prying eyes."

"Sounds like I know you better than she does." Sara snickered.

"In some ways, you do. I lived with you too; even if only for a few days." He said and checked the clock. Catherine would be here soon.

"I guess I need your address so we can resort to letter writing. Think you can escape on the weekend to talk to me for an hour?"

"Yes. I will send you my address in the letter I'm going to write later today. I'm sure that I'll have interesting stories to tell you now that Catherine and her two year old are going to be here. I will make sure to call you whenever I can." He promised her. She chuckled and the doorbell rang at the same time. Grissom answered it while still on the phone.

"Sara, I'll call you later, my guests are here."

"Ok. Have fun 'oh private one'."

"Very funny." She laughed at his sarcastic comments.

"I thought so. Call me when you can. Bye."

"Bye." Grissom hung up the phone to let his guests in. Lindsey clung to his legs, so he picked her up to get her out of the doorway.

"Who's Sara?" Catherine asked. Her natural curiosity might just kill him. He was glad he locked a few things away from her prying eyes.

"She's a friend."

"Girlfriend?"

"She's not up for interrogation. Let me show you where you'll be staying then I'll help you unload your car." He started walking away. Showing Catherine the guest bedrooms would keep her busy unpacking for a while. He hoped that while he entertained Lindsey and she focused on the job at hand, she would forget all about Sara. He was right. That night, Lindsey went to Eddie's and Catherine rode into work with him. He had just sat down at the break room table when the phone rang.

"Grissom." He answered.

"Mr. Grissom, This is Wendy at Cedar Sinai Hospital. I have you listed as an emergency contact for Sara Sidle."

"Is she ok?" Grissom immediately stood up and left the room. His coworkers were definitely confused by this behavior.

"She's banged up pretty bad."

"I'm on my way." He said. Brass was tugged by Grissom into a nearby room as he hung up the phone. He turned to Brass.

"I need a week off. Maybe two."

"Is it the same thing as the last time you took a few days off?" Brass asked.

"I'm assuming so."

"Go. Keep me updated." Brass barely uttered the first word and Grissom took off like a shot. He nearly ran over Catherine on his way to get his coat. He raced home to throw a bag of clothes together and lock the bedroom door before meeting the cab to take him to the airport.

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A/N: Reviews? Please? (I'm not above begging for them) :)

Have a great day everyone. Kelly


	8. Chapter 8

Ninety minutes after taking off from Las Vegas, Gil landed in San Francisco. He hailed a cab to drive him immediately to the hospital. He rushed in carrying his luggage.

"Excuse me, I'm Gil Grissom. I'm looking for Sara Sidle."

"She's with the police right now. If you…" He cut her off.

"I'm a CSI as well as her emergency contact. Could I please see her? I'm the only person she trusts." The nurse made a face full of disbelief and picked up the phone.

"Doctor, Gil Grissom is requesting to see Sara Sidle. Should I…yes sir, good bye." She stood and Grissom knew exactly how the conversation transpired. She led him to the room Sara was sequestered in.

Sara sat curled up as much on the corner of the bed as she could; ignoring everyone and refusing to talk to anyone. She was keeping a wary eye on everyone and it didn't take long to for everyone to figure out that they couldn't come within three feet of her without her screaming hysterically. The door opened and in stepped Grissom.

"GIL!" Sara launched herself into her "safe spot" behind him and backed them up against the wall at the same time. Gil was taken by such force that his bags now lay five feet away from him where he dropped them. He turned his head.

"It's alright Sara. Let the doctor check you. I'll be right here with you the whole time."

"Promise?" She asked and everyone heard her twelve year old voice shining through.

"I promise. Come on out and sit on the bed with me." He tugged her right hand loose of his shirt and she kept a tight grip on his left hand. Her right arm wrapped itself around his left arm. The people in the direct path backed away from her and Gil. On the bed, she was practically in his lap and he never let go of her hand. The doctor stood in front of them and maintained his distance at the same time.

"Sara, what happened?" The doctor asked.

"He found me?" She whispered. Gil squeezed her hand.

"I'm here for you. Can the doctor check you now?"

"No! Don't let that man touch me!" She whispered and did her best to close the nonexistent distance between them. He looked at the doctor.

"Would you mind asking a female doctor take over? Men make her nervous." There was no answer except the doctor leaving the room to grant the request. Grissom briefly wondered about his own masculinity considering what he just said about Sara and men. He banished the thought almost as soon as it had entered and worked on comforting Sara.

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In the hallway, the doctor found one of his female counterparts.

"Hey, I need you to take room two. She won't let anyone touch her except the man with her. You might also want to call Jamie from Psych."

"What's going on Dave?" She asked.

"I think some guy beat the hell out of her. The man with her, Gil is his name, is the only one allowed to touch her. You should have seen it when he finally got here. He came in from Vegas as her emergency contact." Dave demonstrated the move she did when Gil entered the room.

"Wow."

"Yeah, whatever you do, just let him stay with her, ok?" Julie nodded and headed into the room.

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Sara tensed in his arms when the door opened again.

"Hello Miss Sidle, I'm Dr. Greene. How are you?" Sara remained silent.

"Would you introduce me to your friend?" Dr. Greene pointed to Gil.

"Hi, I'm…"

"Sara, who is your friend?" Julie interrupted Gil.

"Grissom." Sara whisper could barely be heard, even by Gil who was inches away.

"Do you want him to stay?"

"Yes." Sara nodded to reinforce her answer.

"Ok, can you tell me what happened?" Dr. Greene asked.

"He found me."

"Who found you?"

"John. He is supposed to be in prison. He found me." Sara then looked at Gil

"I let myself be happy again and he took it away again." She finished on a sob and buried her had in his chest. Dr. Greene pressed on.

"Sara, what did he do to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She answered rudely. She didn't appreciate dumb questions.

"Yes, it is. Is the extent of your abuse purely external?" The doctor asked quietly. Grissom used every ounce of energy to keep his body relaxed for Sara. He was glad that he wasn't talking.

"No." Sara whispered. Grissom tightened his hold on her in hopes that his grip provided safety for her.

"May I examine you now? Your friend can stay if you want him to." Sara clung harder and nodded without looking at anyone.

It took several minutes for Gil to convince Sara that he wasn't leaving because he got off of the bed. Very slowly, the three of them got through the examination. Sara wouldn't allow the CSI to come in, so Grissom had to do the documentation and evidence collection. Sara appreciated his discretion when it came time for her internal exam. He sat with his back to the doctor and focused on her eyes at the same time. Sara kept a firm grip on his hand.

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Sara's boss had come by when he heard that one of his CSI's was not allowed to process a victim. He partially understood upon learning the victim was Sara and was surprised to see her shy away from him too. When she was asleep, the doctor and Sara's boss summoned him into the hall. He tucked a small note in her hand and covered her with his jacket just in case she woke up.

"Hi. Gil Grissom." Gil started the introductions.

"Hello. Bob Cast." The two men shook hands.

"Mr. Grissom, do you know why she is behaving that way?" Dr. Greene asked.

"I do. I can't tell you the whole story; but it does stem from her childhood. I met her when she was twelve years old. I gained her trust and when she's like this, she sometimes reverts back to that little girl. This isn't the first time she's clung to me like that." He explained.

"What do you recommend?" Bob asked.

"I will do what I did last time. I'll help her find a new place and move. We'll get a new house and cell phone number for her. I recommend you do not give out her phone number or address under **any** circumstances. The guy that did this to her used to be a CSI; There is a history." Gil said.

"I see." Bob said and nodded in agreement.

"I'm having the psychologist come to speak with Sara. I've already requested a female. No work for one week, minimum. There are bruises all over her body, a cracked rib, vaginal tearing and three broken toes. A rape kit was collected and documentation photos were taken by Mr. Grissom. Sara wouldn't allow the CSI in the room." Dr. Greene explained to the two men. When Bob heard that Grissom collected evidence, it clicked. Bob had no idea that Sara was friends with a man as well known in this field as Grissom.

"I'll have to say you were here under special request since you collected evidence."

"Of course. Sara is a good friend and I want to see her happy. Excuse me." Grissom left Bob and Dr. Greene to go check on Sara.

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He was just walking back in the room as Sara was waking up.

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

"I hurt." She said and noticed the note in her hand.

"What's this?" She questioned.

"I had to step out of the room for a few minutes and I didn't want you to worry. I had to talk to Bob and the doctor. I told them when we met, but not how. I told them about John. Are you going to press charges?"

"Yes."

"Good. Dr. Greene said no work for a minimum of one week. It will give us time to find you a new place again. I told Bob that under no circumstances is your personal information to be given out. He and I will be the only ones privy to that information." He told her with a squeeze to her hand.

"Thank you. Thank you for coming out." Her eyes were drifting closed.

"Always." He reassured her as she fell asleep.

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A/N: So? What do you think? Is this one worth continuing or should it take a break for a while? Is it too angsty now that last week's episode has aired? Do we need something a little lighter again? Have a great day everyone!


	9. Chapter 9

It came as no surprise to either Grissom or Sara that the psychologists ordered therapy before allowing her to return to work. Her bruises were healing nicely, albeit a little slow at first. They found another apartment and the manager of the complex agreed to let Grissom use his name on the lease instead of Sara's. Grissom also set up her utilities and they went to the post office and set up a P.O. Box there. He slept on her couch for the duration of his visit. As he told Bob, Sara also got a new cell phone number and any information about her was unlisted, just like him.

Two weeks later, Grissom returned home to chaos. Catherine and Lindsey were running around, playing a game of 'catch me'. He said hello and went right to bed for a nap before work. It proved useless due to the noise of the girls. He called Sara to let her know he was home.

"Sidle."

"Hi. I'm back home."

"I'm glad. Going to get some rest before work?"

"I wish. Catherine and Lindsey are running around for a game."

"Gee, too bad. It's nice and quiet over here."

"Yeah, that's not funny." He told her sarcastically.

"I know. I'm sorry for teasing you."

"This is going to be hard living with them."

"I agree. Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks. I should go. I need to pay some bills and rest for a bit. It sounds like they are slowing down."

"I won't keep you then. Thank you again for helping me. I owe you."

"Are we keeping score now?" He asked with a smile.

"Get some rest. I'll talk to you when you call me next."

"Ok. Goodnight Sara."

"Night Grissom." Both parties hung up. Grissom paid his bills and set the envelopes in his briefcase to mail out. He checked a few places in his room to see if Catherine might have picked his bedroom lock and snooped. He wouldn't have put it past her do snoop when she was bored and Lindsey was asleep. After a satisfactory inspection, he left his room to get something to eat.

"Hello ladies." He greeted them with a smile.

"Hi, Gil. Where have you been for the last two weeks?"

"A friend needed some help." He tried to answer and deflect at the same time.

"How's Sara?"

"Why do you ask?" He asked while scrambling some eggs.

"I remember that phone call right before you left. You asked if she was ok, then you took off. Were you with her?"

"What difference does it make if I was?"

"Is she your girlfriend?" Catherine asked.

"No. She's a friend; just like you."

"Why are you so defensive about her? It's like you're keeping her a secret from the rest of us." Catherine told him.

"There's no need for me to tell you about her since you don't know her. I keep my private life private. You know that."

"Is that why you locked your bedroom door?" Grissom smiled.

"You tried to go in, did you?" Catherine flushed with embarrassment.

"No, of course not. Lindsey did and I was pulling her away from the door when I discovered you had locked it." Gil decided not to push any further and also to lock his door at all times. He ate and shared his eggs with Lindsey and was suckered into a movie with her, to which she fell asleep halfway through. He carried her to bed for Catherine and went to sleep himself.

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That night, Jim Brass called Gil into his office.

"So what happened?"

"It's the same girl as before. That asshole found her and beat the hell out of her. I'm the only one she trusts implicitly. I'm her safety net. We had to find a new apartment that I put in my name, a post office box, a new cell phone, a new pager, and a new house phone number; all of which are in my name. We did everything short of changing her name so he can't find her again. She doesn't deserve to live in fear." Gil was still angry about it even two weeks later. Brass picked up on it.

"Do you have feelings for her?"

"She's my friend. She's fifteen years younger than me." Gil deflected.

"Do you have feelings for her?" Brass repeated the question.

"I feel the need to keep her safe." Gil answered after a minute.

"What's she look like? What's her name?"

"Her name is Sara. She's tall, brunette, brown eyes, and a gap in her front teeth. It works for her. She's skinny, but one hell of a CSI. I've been tracking her career. She's already a level two and halfway to three."

"She's the same age as those two clowns out there and she's almost a three?" Brass asked in disbelief. Gil nodded.

"If she applies here, hire her." A recommendation from Gil went along way in the field of forensics. Brass had forgotten the opinionated description Gil had offered about Sara's appearance.

"We'll see. It's time to work." Both men rose at the same time.

"Brass, promise me, you won't say anything." Brass nodded and they left the room.

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Later in the shift, Brass caught Grissom watching the news.

"Damn it Bob!" He suddenly exclaimed and pulled out his cell phone.

"What's going on?" Brass asked.

"That's her." Grissom pointed to the screen and called her at the same time. Brass saw the woman on the phone answer her phone.

"Sidle."

"Move away from the cameras." Grissom had skipped over a greeting.

"I didn't know they had arrived. I'll try to keep out of viewing range."

"Good. Go back to work and I'll call you later." Grissom hung up at the same time as the woman on the screen. Brass saw her disappear inside the house.

"She's pretty." Brass observed and watched his friend.

"Yeah." Grissom agreed absent-mindedly. The conversation was over just as soon as it had begun. Brass fully suspected that his Gil cared much more for this woman than he was willing to admit.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR***SMALL TIME LEAP****

A few months later, it was Grissom's turn to be needy.

"Sidle."

"Hi." His voice was a dead give away.

"What's wrong?"

"Something's happened. Can you come out and do an internal investigation? I'll explain everything later." He told her quietly.

"I'm on the next plane. I'll call you later." She said confidently.

"Thanks. I'll see you later."

"Bye." She said and they both hung up. Grissom breathed a huge sigh of relief. She was amazing that he would drop everything, no questions asked, just to come help him. He gathered some papers in his hand and went to face is team. He was now in charge.

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After the suspect was apprehended, Grissom took Sara to her hotel. He had wanted to get them out of there before Catherine had a chance to sink her teeth into either of them. He knew that she recognized the name as soon as he said it. They sat in the lobby restaurant over waffles.

"So, how do you like Vegas?" He asked her.

"It's so damn hot! Other than that, I haven't seen much of it. Your team seems nice. Warrick and Catherine don't seem to like me much though."

"Good call. Catherine is used to being the only woman around. Pick your battles with her. Warrick's a good guy. How would you behave toward the person doing an investigation on you; especially if said person is a close friend of the boss?" He explained.

"You've got a point on that. Is Catherine the same woman from years ago; the one having issues with her husband?"

"Yes."

"Then good for her to persevere and survive." Sara commended the other woman.

"She had help you know." Grissom gave himself an ego boost.

"Naturally, I'm sure she appreciates your help just as much as I do."

"Thank you. She's a little ticked at me right now too. She calls me her best friend and now she has to adjust to me being her boss. She's angry that I never told her about you. I only said that you were a friend and your first name. She thinks she has a right to know every facet about my life." Grissom explained with a smirk.

"Ouch. Good luck on that front. Did anyone know about me?" She asked.

"Only Jim Brass. He was my boss right up until I called you. You remember him?"

"Yes. He's a nice guy."

"I think so. I have a question for you." He started.

"Go for it." Sara gave him her full attention.

"Would you like to work on my team with me here in Vegas? I have an opening."

"Yes, but I'm warning you; I don't always respond well to authority."

"I can handle it. I'm not used to being in charge of everything yet anyway." He shrugged it off.

"I can handle that. Drive me to the airport so I can take care of things on that end." Grissom nodded and paid the bill. Sara went upstairs to get her things and checked out. At the airport, Grissom pulled her to the side.

"When you get back, plan to stay at my place until we find you one of your own."

"Thanks." She said with a smile that caused his heart to flutter. He started to wonder if it was a wise decision to bring her here. She was creating feelings in him that he was uncomfortable with.

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A/N: All of you asked me to continue, so I am. Keep on reveiwing, please. I love reading them. I have also already started the next fic. It will be a little more humorous, romantic, and my speciality, lots and lots of twists! Have a great day!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: There is a lot of summarizing in this chapter. Otherwise, this story could go on forever if I analyzed every significant moment they share since she arrived in Vegas. I know you all know what the story is with John and also that these two geeks are going to "hook up". Stay with me, this chapter is more of a set up than anything. It's my way of skipping to the romance.

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A short time after she settled in to her own place, a new case had come highlighting an abusive husband and a dead wife. Sara showed just how strong she could be when she physically faced off with the suspect. Grissom was unsure about the quality of the therapists she had seen in the past if she was able to anger so quickly. Later that shift, he was thrown for a loop when she asked if he would sleep with her. By the look on his face, she knew he needed an explanation. That's when she confessed to having vivid nightmares. _Damn that woman! Every time I adjust to these feelings, she does something like that to throw me off. _He thought after she had left his office.

During her second year in Vegas, she threw another curve ball at him. He found out through a case that she was dating some paramedic. His feelings got in the way and he never saw how much he was hurting her by his actions. He added to the hurt by doing nothing to console her after she found out she was the other woman and broke up with him; then he went and slept with Lady Heather. When the lab blew up because of Catherine, he slipped up and called her 'Honey'. That same shift, she asked him out to dinner and he knew it was not a dinner between friends. He felt awful that he had turned her down, but he told her the truth. He honestly didn't 'know what to do about this'. She asserted some confidence and basically told him he was a fool before she walked away. He would find out later that Jim Brass was the only one to notice her deteriorating state.

It wasn't until her fourth year in Vegas that things between them had shifted again. His jealousy over her relationship with Hank and his hearing difficulties led him to largely ignore her for over a year. He only spoke to her when he had to and it was always about work. It was easy for him to accomplish his mission, because being the boss meant he assigned the cases. He simply chose not to work with her. One day she had asked him to 'pin her down' as a reenactment. The moment was tense and he was close to leaning in to kiss when she broke the silence by switching topics. Next, he was consumed with a case when he saw the victim could have been Sara. His feelings about her were once again in turmoil. He refused to stop working for any reason until they had…something to go on. He inadvertently made a confession to the suspect in order to goad him into admitting he murdered two people. Sadly, it didn't work. He had never felt so bogged down by his emotions as he had that day. The day he got called to pick her up for a D.U.I. was the day he clued in that she was not as well as she wanted people to think.

It was in her fifth year and things were going well between them. They were back to rebuilding their relationship and then Sofia started working the nightshift. This time, however, he wasn't oblivious to Sara's feelings. Sofia and Sara just didn't click and he knew it was because of him. He knew they both had feelings for him. Sofia was more direct while Sara didn't do much at all. In a way, he admired that about her. He noticed that one seemed jealous when he paid attention to the other. He limited the number of cases the two women worked together. He knew he'd upset Sara again when he took Sofia out to dinner in a vain attempt to keep the other woman at the lab. He remembered when Sara wanted to leave and all he did was send a plant with an impersonal card. He only did that because Catherine had 'planted' the idea in his head to send her something. He felt guilty throughout the meal.

Sara being held hostage by a convicted rapist in a mental institution forced him to fully acknowledge his feelings for her. Just two weeks prior, he tested his feelings by listening to her talk about her family. He held her hand as a man comforting a woman he dreams about, instead of a man comforting a friend or the child that she used to be. Seeing Adam Trent hold that shard of pottery to her neck worried him that he might never get to tell her how he felt and that she might be right. She had told him when he figured out what to do about 'this', he could be too late. Luckily, Sara was able to get away and with Sofia's help, they were able to close the case. Sofia ended up leaving anyway to be a detective and both women seemed much happier.

************END SUMMARY********STORY PROGRESSES NOW*******

Sara had just started her sixth year in Vegas. She had finished her shift and stopped by the grocery store on her way home. On her way out, she caught a profile that forced her to take a second look. _No, it can't be. He's supposed to be in jail._ She convinced herself and quickly made her purchases so she could get home. She kept checking her rearview mirror to see if she was being followed. As fast as she could, she grabbed her things and ran to the safety of her apartment. After locking every door and window, she called the only person she can trust.

"Grissom."

"Hi, Is this a bad time?" She asked and continually looked around her.

"It's fine. Are you ok?"

"I'm not sure. I went to the store on my way home and I saw someone there. It looked like John. I got home as soon as I could and called you." She explained.

"Do you want me to come over?" He asked and was ready to leave at that second. He hadn't told her of his feelings yet, but he was sure of them.

"I should be ok; I just wanted you to know what I may have seen."

"Are you sure? I'm no stranger to sleeping on your couch." She chuckled at his second offer.

"I'll be fine. I've already locked all the doors and windows. You're still the only one with my address." She said with confidence and closed the all curtains and drapes.

"Alright. If you need me, don't hesitate to call me. I'll be home all day."

"Thank you Grissom. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Sara." They both hung up and Sara went to sleep in her clothes. She would shower at the lab.

That night, Sara stayed true to her mental promise and showered at the lab. She was in the locker room running a comb through her hair when Catherine poked her head in.

"Hey Sara, you have a delivery. I put it in the break room for you."

"Thanks Catherine, I'll be there soon." Sara replied and finished what she needed to do. Five minutes later, she entered the break room. The only person missing was Grissom. She saw the flowers on the table and plucked the card from the stems. Immediately upon reading it, she backed against the wall. Her face was stark white. Nick was the first to reach her.

"Sara, are you ok?" He put his hand on her shoulder at the same time he spoke to her.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed and moved away from him.

Grissom was walking toward the break room to meet his team when he heard Sara's twelve year old voice scream in terror. He broke into a run to get to her as fast as he could. He found the team staring at her and Sara looked like she wanted to crawl inside the wall.

"What's going on?" He asked. At the first syllable of his voice, Sara reacted and pulled him to her. She was now in her 'safe spot' behind him and against the wall.

"I don't know man. She got these flowers and when she read the card, that's what happened. I put my hand on her shoulder to ask her if she is alright and she screamed at me." Nick said.

"She doesn't know who you are right now." Gil turned his head to her.

"Sara, may I read the card?" He felt her nod followed by a poke to his waist. He took it from her and read it.

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A/N: Bwa ha ha. Sorry, I couldn't resist a cliff hanger like that. What do you think the card says? Thank you to everyone who has submitted reviews. Please keep them coming! Have a great day. Kelly


	11. Chapter 11

Gil read the card in his hand for a second time.

_You can't hide from me. _

_I know you saw me at the grocery store. _

_I'll always find you Sara._

"Shit. Catherine, please call Brass and ask him to come to my office. Sara, come out, I want you to meet some people. Come on, it's ok. You're safe right now." He told her and tugged her out at the same time. She tightened her hold on him, peeking her head around his shoulder. He used his free hand to point to everyone else in the room.

"That's Warrick, Nick, Greg, and the woman on the phone is Catherine. We all work together." He told her.

"Hi." Sara whispered.

"Would you all excuse us for a minute?" Grissom asked the group. It was the only way to get Sara out from behind him. Silently, they all left the room. He could tell they were all confused. He tugged her out from her spot.

"They're gone. Come on out. I like talking to your face." She held onto his hand with both of hers as she stood to face him. Her posture told him she was in fight or flight mode. He knew at this point, she would pick flight and go right back to her spot. He moved them to the couch.

"Do you trust them?" She sat next to him and kept holding his hand, but other than that, there was some space between them.

"They are like family. Yes, I trust them." He said and realized 'family' was a poor choice in words when she tensed up at the word.

"I trust them as much as you trust me." He corrected and she visibly relaxed. A minute later, Catherine tapped on the door. Needless to say she was surprised to see Grissom and Sara holding hands on the couch. She told him that Brass was in his office and waiting for them.

Suddenly Sara let go of his hand and looked around the now empty room.

"It happened again, didn't it?"

"It did and this time the team saw you. They're worried about you."

"Crap." She bolted off the couch and began pacing the room. Grissom let her expend some energy for a few seconds. Catherine texted to remind him of Brass waiting impatiently in his office. Grissom stood up and Sara reacted by stepping closer to him and watching the door carefully.

"What are we going to do?" She asked.

"Right now, we are going to go to my office. Brass is in there waiting for us. He's the only one who has a clue of how serious this is. I tried to leave your name out of it, but he was in the room that day when I called you because of the TV cameras."

"Oh."

"He hasn't said a word, Sara. He was my boss at the time; I had to tell him something for my sudden two week absences." She nodded.

"It's ok. Let's go talk to him." He opened the door for her. The team had been waiting outside and instinctively backed away. Sara stayed particularly close to his side and even tugged on his sleeve if he strayed further than the inch away she let him have.

In Grissom's office, Sara made him sit on the couch so she could stay as close to her safe spot as she could. Brass was shocked by the behavior he was witnessing from the normally unflappable woman before him. Grissom and Sara filled him in on everything related to John. Brass immediately put out an APB for him. Sara was no longer going to be alone until he was found. Grissom told her she could stay at his place again.

"Do you think we should let the team know what's going on?" Grissom asked her. She shook her head adamantly.

"No, Just us; please?" She begged him.

"For now, but we will have to tell them something. They are worried about you." Sara offered a resigned nod.

"I trust you. No names, please?" She bargained and he nodded. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

"I'll do my best." He stood and then so did Sara. He looked at her.

"Do you want to stay with me or would you like to go hang out with Brass?" The look in her eyes already told him the answer. He saw her twelve year old persona shining through. She grabbed his hand again surprising Brass. Sara looked at him warily.

"It's alright, he's a friend." Grissom soothed her. Brass noticed the change and stepped away to offer some extra space. Sara was now half hiding behind Grissom again. Grissom wanted to kill John Calloway for messing her up to this degree. He would do it too if it wouldn't have led to his arrest.

"Let's sit down again. Brass, would you call the rest of the team in here?" Grissom resumed his seat on the couch with Sara next to him so their thighs were touching. Some part of Grissom very deep down was enjoying the closeness to her, but now was neither the time nor the place to act on those feelings. He needed John put away and Sara needed some serious therapy before anything could transpire between them.

As soon as the team entered the room and sat down, Sara tensed up.

"Sara, what's wrong?" Nick asked. She scrambled into Grissom's lap in an effort to move further away from everyone else. This time, Grissom was just as surprised as everyone else and had to pry one of her hands off his neck so he could breathe. He held onto that one instead. No one said a word while Sara huddled for safety on Grissom. One arm was still wrapped tightly on his neck and her feet were resting on the thigh she wasn't already occupying. Grissom patted her back lightly, offered her words of comfort and support, but did not physically try to make her move. He had just about coaxed her back to her own seat when the door opened and a woman stepped through.

"Hello, I'm Jeanette, who are all of you?" She started. She was going to sit on the couch with Sara and Grissom but Sara shook her head and put her leg out to stop her. Each member of the team introduced themselves, except for Sara. Grissom tried to prompt her, but she wouldn't budge.

"Ok, what happened?" Jeanette took charge. Grissom, Sara, and Brass all remained silent as the rest of the team told her what they knew.

"Sara, why do you only let Grissom near you?" Jeanette asked.

"He didn't treat me like a baby." Everybody heard the past tense word chosen.

"What do you mean?" Jeanette further prompted her.

"He was respectful."

"How so?"

"He let me talk when I was ready. He didn't force me to do anything. He let me help him collect evidence and taught me how to dust and lift prints." Everyone in the room heard her voice slip back to her twelve year old self. Grissom knew the team was shocked and wondered what they were thinking. Jeanette had decided that group therapy time was over.

"Would you all excuse us? I would like to talk to Sara alone." Each of them filed out one by one. Sara started to relax until Grissom tried to leave too.

"No! Don't leave me!" She clutched to him.

"Sara, Grissom can stay as long as you sit in that chair over there." Jeanette pointed to the chair that was the furthest away from Grissom. He said nothing and remained still. Sara held onto him while she debated about her decision. Jeanette waited patiently. After five long minutes, Sara curled up in the chair, ready to run if she felt that she needed to.

"I will stay in this chair and you will stay in yours. No one is going to touch you. You are completely safe. Do you understand that?" Jeanette asked. Sara nodded.

"Are you ready to answer some questions for me?" She asked and again Sara nodded and looked at Grissom. Jeanette handed out three pads of paper and pens for all of them to take notes and write down questions. It was important that Sara feel comfortable or it was pointless for her to be there. Jeanette began the first therapy session.

An hour later, Sara was her calm and rational self once again. She tucked her new prescription in her pocket and went to work. Grissom got up to leave and was stopped by Jeanette. He sat back down.

"Do you have a few more minutes, Mr. Grissom?"

"Yes."

"I'd like to talk to you about Sara."

"Alright."

"I can see you care a great deal about her. That will aid in her recovery."

"I'm glad." He said.

"Over time, I would not only like to see Sara, but all of you as well. Both alone and with Sara. She will need a lot of support."

"They want to help. They care about her too." Grissom nodded as he volunteered his team for therapy.

"Not as much as you do. What are your feelings for her?"

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A/N: Another cliffhanger, but not as bad. The only way I know what you think of this story is if you tell me....so come on, hit that large green button in the center of this page. :) Have a great day everyone! I'll post again in the morning.


	12. Chapter 12

"I love her." Grissom told the simple and straightforward truth. He also realized that this was the first time he had ever said those words aloud. He wished he could have at least said them to Sara first, but it's too late to change that.

"She loves you too. It's very strong. I also sense a weird tension between you at the same time." Jeanette shared her observations.

"I won't let myself act on my feelings. Unfortunately, Sara gets hurt by my mixed signals.

"You need to choose. You're both suffering emotionally."

"I want to be with her, believe me. It's against the rules because I am her boss."

"Don't let that stop you. Find a solution. It will speed up her recovery and help her put her past behind her. She isn't aware that her twelve year old self lurks in her subconscious until after the crisis is over and then remembers everything." Grissom nodded.

"I've noticed that as well."

"She's very dependent on you." Grissom was unsure of what to make of the statement.

"She has been since we met. I processed the scene when her mother killed her father." Jeanette leaned forward.

"Oh? Please tell me more." Grissom took a moment to recall all of the important details from the night he'd met Sara.

"I was a new CSI. Sara was arguing with the child services woman. I stepped in to give them both a break. I would prefer Sara tell you this story since it is hers to tell."

"Can you tell me a little more from your point of view? I plan to ask Sara as well." Jeanette requested. Gil sat silently for a few more minutes.

"It's like what Sara already said in here. I let her help me and taught her a few things as well. I figured she was old enough to make her own decisions and gave her that freedom. She was an exceptionally bright young woman. I surprised me to learn that she was a freshman in high school at twelve years old. She wouldn't leave the house without her backpack. She clung to me and only went with that woman because she had Sara's books." Grissom also told Jeanette about the other incidents in Boston, Los Angels, and San Francisco. Jeanette was stunned.

"I'm glad she has you in her life. It's very easy to see why she puts her faith in you."

"Thank you." Grissom said quietly. Jeanette handed over several business cards and accommodated Sara by agreeing to conduct therapy sessions either at the lab or at Grissom's house. She thought it was a good idea that she was staying with him and if he hadn't already suggested it, she would have. Grissom promised to be available for Sara whenever and however she needed him. He walked Jeanette to the front door of the building. He handed each member of the team, including Sara, one of Jeanette's cards. All of them agreed to do whatever it took to help Sara put her past behind her.

It was Sara to stand up and look at each person before she spoke.

"I want to thank all of you right now for your support. I need to reconcile my past; that much is obvious. In time, I want to be able to tell you what happened, but for now, just be there for me. I know Jeanette is going to tell me that I need to be ale t trust and confide in someone other than Grissom. I've been doing that for twenty years. He needs a break." Everyone chuckled. Grissom reached out to squeeze her hand in support and then took hold of Greg's hand as well. After getting over the shock, Greg continued the chain, taking hold of Brass' hand. Sara started the other side with Catherine. She took Warrick and Warrick reached out to Nick. Nick was the last to connect with both Brass and Warrick.

"Sara, we are your family. Each of us is here for you to laugh with, cry with, and offer a hug if that's what you need." Grissom told her. Sara looked at each one of them nod. She smiled.

"Thank you, but singing Kumbayah is out." She said on a chuckle and everyone laughed. The circle broke and everyone went back to work. Grissom went to his office to email Catherine, Warrick, Nick, Greg and Brass to remind them that Sara is not to be alone and asked them to help move some of her things into his house. She was going to use his guest bedroom for as long as she needed it.

Each team member had called Jeanette on separate occasions to speak with her privately. Jeanette was patient and gave each one of them ideas of how to deal with Sara the best; especially when she slipped into her child psyche. Grissom and Sara naturally spent the most time with her individually. It only took a handful of daily sessions for there to be a noticeable difference in Sara. The best news came ten days after the delivery of flowers. Brass called to say that John had been arrested. There was a speedy trial to which he was sentenced o life in prison and this time there was no possibility of parole. Sara gathered the team together in Grissom's living room. It was a place that she felt safe and comfortable.

"Thank you all for coming." Sara began.

"It's time for me to tell you a little bit of background." Sara looked at Grissom and Jeanette. Both of them nodded to her. She took a deep breath.

"When I was twelve years old, my mother stabbed my father and killed him." Again, Sara had to take a deep breath.

"Grissom was one of the CSI's that processed the scene. The woman from child services was trying to take me away and I didn't want to go with her. Grissom intervened and let me hang with him for a while. He showed me how to dust and lift prints and collected my clothes for evidence. He gave me the choice to have a woman come with me to get my clothes. I felt safe enough to say no and he respected that choice. He bribed me into going with that woman because when we went to get my book bag, he handed it off without giving it to me. It was almost ten years before I saw him again. Grissom was teaching a lecture at Harvard. We got to talking and he bailed me out again when I showed up almost an hour late to the waitress job I had at the time. I moved out to L.A. and met John. He befriended me and we started dating. He slowly manipulated his way into controlling every aspect of my life. He started to hit me and I did nothing to stop it, because that's what I had seen when I grew up. Grissom had come for a consult case and saw him kick me in the stomach in the lab. We went to complain to the lab director and I ended up transferring to San Francisco. John was arrested. Two years later, he must have gotten out because he found me again. I didn't come out of it of easily this time. He beat me up and raped me. Grissom came to my aid for what felt like the millionth time. He got out of jail again and found me here in Vegas. Now, you know the basics and why I flipped out when the flowers came." Sara finished her monologue and sat down between Jeanette and Grissom. Each one of them held her hand while the rest of them digested the new information presented to them.

Several of them looked back and forth between Grissom and Sara. Catherine looked to Grissom.

"When you let me stay at your house, were you with Sara? She's the same Sara?" Grissom nodded.

"Yes, Catherine, when you were staying here, I was with Sara, helping her." Grissom verbally confirmed. Jeanette took the lead again.

"Sara has just taken a major step in her recovery. She has shown a great trust in all of you. Should Sara come to you in the future requesting confidence, it is important that you not betray that confidence in any way." Sara's friends nodded and on their way out, each of them hugged her in support. Sara was tired after the session and decided to go to bed. Grissom cleaned up the few mugs and glasses from his guests and went to bed himself.

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A/N: Well folks, we're getting to the end and the romance is on it's way...I promise. Keep those reveiws coming please. I will post first thing in the morning. Have a great day everyone!!! Kelly


	13. Chapter 13

After Sara had shared her past with the team, her therapy had progressed much faster. She still lived with Grissom and was visibly uncomfortable going outside by herself. It took several months for her brain to accept that John was in jail and he wouldn't be getting out this time. It was at this point that Sara was able to go on short little trips and errands alone. It was also when she felt comfortable enough to return to field work. For the first week, she was paired with Grissom on every case. After that, she was sent out with everyone else. Jeanette was a constant presence in Sara's life. It was almost a year later, that Sara had reconciled her past and was back to her old stubborn self. The team admired her perseverance and strength to put the past behind her once and for all. John Calloway no longer had any control over her life. Grissom spent several months releasing his anger in a safe and controlled manner. John knew enough about her past and still chose to use it against her. Jeanette had given him a few calming techniques use, but verbal venting seemed to be the best outlet for him.

Sara came knocking on his office door one morning.

"Come in."

"Hi. Is this a bad time?" She asked.

"Not at all. What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to thank you. You have really been there for me and I appreciate it. It meant a lot that you were there. I know I was driving you crazy with my insecurities."

"I'm always glad to help you. You're my friend and I care about you. I'm glad to see your back on your feet again." He told her and had an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Thank you…I…uh…I was thinking that I might be ready for my own place again." Sara said and confirmed Grissom's gut feelings.

"You don't have to. I enjoy having you there."

"Thanks, but I need to do this again. Jeanette agrees that this will help me. I need to at least try." His face fell and knew that she saw it.

"Gil, it's not that I really want to move, but if I ever want to be truly comfortable with myself and with others, then I need to be able to be alone. I want to be able to have relationships again and trust people." She was dangerously close to entering his personal space.

"I understand, Sara, I really do. I'll miss you. I've grown used to sharing my space with you. I … like it." Sara knew that it took a lot for Grissom to admit that. She smiled.

"Thank you. I like living with you too. Are you upset?"

"Of course not. Do you need help finding a place?" He offered.

"That would be great. I'm glad that I met you."

"Same here. Go back to work and I'll see you later." He said and turned back to his work. Her chuckle forced him to look up.

"Gil, shift is over." She thought his flustered look was adorable. Sara had discovered through her therapy that she was still in love with Grissom. The moving to her own place was actually Sara's idea; one that Jeanette supported whole-heartedly. Sara confessed her true feelings about Gil and also thoroughly enjoyed the safe feeling he has always made her feel. She enjoys living with him, but her desire to conquer that last insecurity overrode the ease of living with Grissom. By proving she can survive on her own again, allows her the freedom to pursue other dreams. This time, her pursuit is named Gil Grissom.

The two of them found an apartment within five miles of Grissom's town home. Fortunately for Sara, the one-bedroom unit was available immediately. Grissom called in muscular reinforcement to collect her furniture from the storage unit he rented while Sara signed a six month lease. While the guys were moving her things out of storage, Catherine, Sara, and Grissom were at the town house packing. Catherine left her car for them and took Sara's smaller car to get food for her new place.

Sara could tell that Grissom was depressed. She also knew that she was the only one able to decipher the many moods of a stoic Gil Grissom. He was also within ten feet of her at all times. The team had decided to go out for dinner to celebrate her independence. Again, Grissom stuck by her side, telling the team to go ahead and they'll be along shortly.

"Grissom, what's wrong?" Sara began the questioning as soon as they were alone.

"I just want to make sure that you are ok."

"I'll be ok. I need to do this. Knowing that you're still close by and have a key helps."

"Thank you for trusting me." He said and fingered the keys in his pocket.

"It's always been you. You make me feel safe." Sara told him and then looked at the keys in her hand.

"I want to…never mind." He started to say and then stopped himself.

"What is it?"

"It can wait." He said decisively.

"If you want me to trust you, then you have to trust me too." She said.

"I do trust you. I have to; you know the real me."

"Then what did you want?" She reminded him.

"I want to kiss you."

"Huh?" She hadn't even considered that a possibility.

"I want to kiss you." He repeated.

"Now?" She asked. He chuckled.

"That was the general idea. Is it ok with you?"

"Yes. I do want that. When I mentioned wanting to be able to have relationships, I was talking about you."

"Really?" Grissom knew that at one point she had feelings for him. He had no idea they still existed though.

"It's always been you." After her confession, he stepped into her personal space.

"Sara, may I kiss you?" In his mind, telling her he wanted to kiss her and asking her if her could meant to different things.

"Yes." His hands cradled her face, and slowly brought his face to hers. They both felt the jolt of electricity course through them when their lips touched. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. They pulled apart breathlessly.

"Wow." They said at the same time and then smiled.

"Sara, will you allow me to take you out for dinner one night next week?"

"Only if you promise that it will end with another kiss like that." She said conditionally and then ruined it by smiling. He smiled back.

"It's a date. I'll pick you up at seven next Tuesday. Dress casual." Sara nodded her head and picked up the last of her things, which were promptly taken out of her hand.

"We'd better go before they send a search party for us." He agreed and followed her out the door. He knew that he was going to miss the little things about her the most. Like the way she comes home from work and almost always puts on some sweat pants, socks, and a t-shirt to lounge around for the rest of the day. Or how she usually fell asleep in his chair with a romance novel in her lap. Yes, it was going to be the little things he missed he most.

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A/N: So many of you have been asking for the romance; well it's on it's way. I have an entire chapter dedicated to smut (romance) There are only going to be 17 chapters in this fic, and that's okay, I've already started writing the next one. To get the next chapter, you know what you have to do... I'm waiting... have a great day! Kelly


	14. Chapter 14

During her first full day home alone, Sara woke up in a cold sweat. She immediately left her place and drove to Grissom's. She used to her key to get in and crawled in bed with him. He hadn't truly woke up, but adjusted to the intrusion in his bed. He was used to this by now. On the second day, she tried to go back to sleep. When she woke up the second time, she went back to Grissom's. On the third day, she called him and woke him up. He used his words to calm her back to sleep. He had been prepared for this and therefore no words were needed on days that he woke up with her in his bed. On the fourth day, Grissom was surprised that he hadn't been woken by her words or her actions. He called her instead.

"Hello?"

"Hi." He said cheerfully.

"Hi. How are you?" She asked.

"Fine. Congratulations, you made it through a whole day." He said.

"I cheated." She admitted quietly.

"How?"

"I snuck into your house and stole one of your shirts." She told him.

"Whatever helps. We have a date tonight." He reminded her.

"I didn't forget. You told me to dress casual. How casual?"

"I'm wearing jeans and tennis shoes. I am bringing a sweatshirt along too. Should I grab one for you?" He offered.

"Sure. I am a fan of the Berkeley one." She said with a smile.

"You did pick it out. Get dressed, I'll be there soon." He said.

"I'll be here. Thanks for calling."

"Bye Sara." He said and they both hung up. Both of them began to get dressed. Sara was more nervous than anything. She knew him pretty well, but a dream that she's had for so long was about to come true. The rules have changed. She didn't want to mess this up. She also didn't know that Grissom spent ten minutes pacing around his bedroom before he got dressed. Even after the countless meals they have shared in the past, tonight was the most important one.

Promptly at seven, Grissom knocked on hr door. She opened the door with a smile. With his hand on her back, he led her to his car and held he door open for her. He drove her away from the city to a cliff for a picnic. The lights from the strip cast just enough of a glow to see what they were doing.

"Well I must admit that you have surprised me. Having lived with you for so long, I thought I knew what to expect." Sara told him when he had her sit next to him.

"Sara, my dear, in all of that time, this is the first date. You get to see my romantic side." She saw one of his rare smiles and tucked the memory away so she could remember it later.

"I like it. Thank you for bringing me here. The view is amazing." She was looking back at the strip.

"I agree." He whispered. Sara turned her head to see him gazing at her. She felt the blush creep up on her cheeks. She tried to look away, but his gaze was so captivating and held her attention. They both recognized the moment and silently acknowledged what was about to happen. Grissom, ever so slowly, began his descent to her lips. Sara moved even closer to meet him. Just like the first kiss in his living room, every nerve in their bodies quivered with the touch of their lips. They got carried away in the kiss and ended up lying back on the blanket.

"Stop." Sara said in a moment of panic. Grissom immediately sat up.

"I'm sorry." Sara began and was interrupted.

"No. You have nothing to be sorry about. I should have asked if you were ok with this." Sara smiled at his sentence.

"Thank you. I want to…" He cut her off again.

"Sara, stop. I'm a grown man. I'll wait until you are ready. I stop when a woman tells me to. No questions asked, no reasons needed. YOU are worth the wait." He put a palm on her cheek to match the sincerity of his words. She covered his hand with her own.

"I appreciate that. I'll do my best not to get your hopes up. I don't want you to think I'm a tease."

"I'd never think that. I understand you. Your trust was violated by a man you cared about. It only makes sense that it would take a great amount of time and trust to be intimate with another man. I'll be here when you're ready." He told her.

"Thank you. Have I ruined our date?"

"Not at all. Honesty is important. I'm glad we talked about this."

"May I kiss you?" She asked.

"You never have to ask." He said with a smile. She smiled and initiated the kiss. Once again, they ended up horizontal, only this time, Sara was on top. She stopped him when his hand slipped under her shirt. She sat up, but didn't leave his lap. He sat up to face her.

"I'm sorry." He palmed her cheek.

"Sara, stop apologizing. It's ok, really."

"Not from my point of view." He decided to change tactics.

"You said stop. I'll just have a sore wrist for a while." He said with a smile. He was thankful it was dark outside so she couldn't see his blush.

"Me too. I won't hear you this time. That will be an adjustment." He was definitely thankful it was dark out. His bush increased ten fold.

"You heard me?"

"A few times." She confessed.

"I never heard you; not once." He was astounded and horrified that she'd heard him. He'd done his best to stay silent.

"Tricks of the trade, my friend." She couldn't believe that this is what they were talking about on their first date. Apparently, neither could he, because he changed the subject.

"What else do you know about me?" He asked. She shook her head with a smile.

"Lot's. I did live with you for a while. I'm sure you have dirt on me too."

"I do know about your soap opera addiction." He teased. He remembered the day he found out. She was on the couch, glued to the TV. He made the mistake of asking her what she was watching and she spent the next forty minutes giving commentary and background information for the particular soap she was watching. He he'd gone to bed with a headache that day.

"I guess we'd be pretty evenly matched in the blackmail game, huh?" She theorized.

"Yes, I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone in my life; one possible exception being my mother." He said.

"Thank you. How is your mother these days?"

"She's bugging me to visit. She says that if I don't go soon, she's going to send embarrassing photos of me to Catherine." Sara laughed.

"Catherine's met her?"

"Just once. She came to pick up something from my house and mom was there."

"What's she like?" Sara asked.

"A lot like you actually. She is very smart and has some serious blackmail on me. You'll like her. She's deaf and could discipline me with a simple look. She is firm but kind. Just don't piss her off."

"You're right, I would like her. I'd love to meet her."

"Someday." He agreed.

"Were you a discipline problem?" She asked, but couldn't picture it.

"In a way." He answered and knew exactly what the net word out of her mouth would be.

"How?"

"In my scientist way. I'd leave my experiments out and occasionally fall asleep to them. She drew the line at the dead animals. She woke up one morning to discover I'd done an autopsy on the kitchen counter. It took me all day to clean the kitchen to her satisfaction." She chuckled.

"I believe that." She said then nonverbally changed the subject again. She was still sitting on his legs and reached down to pick up one of his hands. She kissed the palm and placed it on her neck. She herd him suck in a breath. Grissom used every ounce of energy he had and some he didn't not to move his fingers. He let her be in control of this. While keeping his hand on the outside of his clothes, Sara moved his wrist in a broad sweeping motion from shoulder to shoulder and scooping a little lower each time. He relaxed his hand so it behaved like seaweed in the ocean. The heel of his hand brushed the barest hint of cleavage, but that was it. He knew she was testing him. Eventually she returned his hand to him. She leaned forward and let their foreheads touch. The moment was far too intimate for words and it was ended by a ringing phone.

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A/N: I said the smut was on it's way, not that it was this chapter. :) It is, I promise. Keep the reviews coming and I will keep posting. Deal? I thought so. :) Have a great day! Kelly


	15. Chapter 15

Sara and Grissom both had an idea of what the call was about. Sara moved off his lap so he could answer the phone. She started to clean up, but he put his hand out to stop her. They maintained eye contact.

"Grissom."

"_Where are you?"_

"I'm in the desert. What do you need Catherine?"

"_Your help. A big case just came in. I need to call Sara in too." _

"I'll call her. I'll be there as soon as I can." He sighed and nodded to Sara. She nodded back and proceeded to clean up as he ended the call. Five minutes later, they were on the road again. They entered the lab together, but only Catherine seemed to notice. Sara watched the other woman study her and Grissom. Catherine's eyes widened and that's when Sara reacted.

"Catherine, can I talk to you in private?" Sara was pulling Catherine out the door even when she asked the rhetorical question. On the way out, she discreetly told Grissom to wipe his mouth. Sara and Catherine went to a bathroom and made sure it was empty.

"When did this happen?" Catherine asked immediately upon learning they had privacy.

"It's been building for a while. Tonight was our first date."

"Even after all that time you lived at his place, you never…?" Catherine asked.

"No. I shared his bed a few times when I had nightmares, but it was just sleep." Sara explained.

"You weren't about to, were you?"

"No, I'm not ready. When it got too intense for me, I put on the brakes. Grissom respected me; no questions asked." A minute later, Sara asked.

"This will stay between us, right?" Catherine knew how important it was for Sara to be able to trust people again and nodded.

"I won't say a word." Sara visibly relaxed and there was a knock on the door, before it was pushed open. Grissom poked his head in, but looked at the floor.

"Ladies, are you ready to join us?"

"Yes." They answered.

"Good. You're both with me. Let's go."

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When they had finally left the lab after turning over their evidence, Grissom took everyone out for breakfast. Sara stayed near him and the rest of the team noticed it, but they were also used to it by now. What they didn't know, beside Catherine, was that she was hovering for an entirely different reason. Sara even put her hand on his thigh during the meal. He made sure to keep his hands visible the entire time.

He felt the mood shift one second before she moved. Very suddenly, she increased the body contact and was trying to push him forward to in order to get to her spot from a seated position. He looked in the direction of the door. He saw a man that didn't look very friendly and was currently leering at her. Grissom squeezed her hand in reassurance. By this time, the rest of the team was now glaring at the man. He noticed this and left. Nick and Warrick took a quick walk to make sure he was truly gone. When they came back, Sara was able to relax and resume her previous position. The rest of the meal was completed without incident. In the car afterwards, Sara told Grissom about her conversation with Catherine. He sighed, but had no other choice other than to accept it. He was glad that Sara was putting her trust in Catherine for something not related to work.

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One month later, Sara was showing a remarkable change. She was doing well living on her own. Her security issues have greatly reduced and her relationship with Grissom was stronger than ever. He was still supportive and respectful whenever she put a halt to their private festivities. The biggest thing was that she never got the feeling he had an ulterior motive. They were in the movie theatre on a date when she took his hand in hers. She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. Reflexively, he put his head on top of hers. She then surprised him by placing the hand she held hostage on her upper thigh. This was a new move for her and just like every other time, he didn't move his fingers. She left his hand on her leg and wound her arms around his bicep. This action brought her chest in direct contact with his arm and they sat like this for the rest of the movie. Grissom was proud to have kept his physical arousal at bay.

He walked her home after the movie. Sara kept their arms intertwined for the duration of the walk.

"Thank you for the movie. I enjoyed it." She said and smiled.

"Me too." He returned the smile she offered him.

"Would you like to come in?"

"I would." She smiled even wider and opened the door for them. He followed her in and hung up their coats. Since she moved, Grissom has been the only one she'd felt comfortable enough inviting inside. Sara was in her kitchen making coffee, so Grissom sat on the couch. She joined him a minute later by sitting on his lap. Without words, she turned her attention to his shirt. He didn't move to stop her, but did question her.

"Sara, what are you doing?"

"Unbuttoning your shirt." She answered simply. She didn't think she would have to give him a play by play.

"Why?" He asked. Sara stopped.

"I'm sorry." She tried to back away, but Grissom placed his hands on her hips to keep her there. She froze.

"I didn't say I didn't like it or that I wanted you to stop; I just wanted to know why." He let go of her hips, pleased when she didn't leave his lap. He waited and soon his patience paid off.

"I just wanted to see you. I feel comfortable enough to do that. I know we trust each other. Do you want me to stop?"

"No, it feels good." He said with a gentle smile. She smiled and cautiously returned to her task. Grissom sat there with his hands at his sides, letting her decide what would happen next. She reached the bottom and spread the shirt apart to allow the air to attack his chest and he still didn't move. He watched her and it was exciting to be the focus of the attentive gaze she usually only displayed when she was examining evidence. She moved her hands to touch his skin. Her feathery touch left goose bumps in its wake. He saw her eyes move to meet his. She leaned in to kiss him and then her tongue requested entrance.

"Toshme" She mumbled into his mouth causing him to break the kiss.

"What?"

"Touch me." She clarified.

"Where would you like me to touch you?" He asked.

"Where I touch you." She answered. He nodded. She initiated another kiss and put her hands on his face. Grissom returned the kiss and copied her movements. She moved to his neck and shoulders; he followed. One of her hands landed on his waist and again, he followed suit. The kiss broke for air and Sara's hand rubbed his face. Her eyes closed when he caressed her cheek. The other hand moved up his skin to settle on his ribcage. Grissom did the same but made sure his hand stayed on the outside of her shirt. She smiled in appreciation.

"Sara?"

"Yes?"

"I want you to know…I love you." Her smile at that exact second could hit lit up the strip.

"I love you too." He pulled her willing body back to his lips. The hand on her ribcage did not move, despite the temptation. Sara moved her kisses to his ear.

"I'm not afraid. I trust you." She whispered.

"I trust you too." She smiled and resumed the kissing. Grissom moved the hand on her face into her hair. His other hand moved over the fabric to slowly encase her breast. She moaned softly when he massaged it. His shirt followed her commands and left his body to acquaint itself with the floor.

"Sara, may I see you?" He gestured to her shirt. She sat there for a few seconds before bringing his hands to her waist. Sara raised her arms obediently and displayed a tremendous amount of trust.

"You are so beautiful." He said and looked over her exposed body before ending at her eyes.

"You're not so bad yourself." She started to lean in and he paused.

"Sara, how far do you want this to go tonight?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't think we'd get this far. Why?"

"I'm beginning to have physical effects of my current state of mind. I need to know if I should 'get my hopes up'. If so, do we have preventative measures?" He told her. She ran her hand through his hair.

"I'm on the patch and have been for a while now. As for your predicament, I don't have an answer. Would you be upset if I ended up stopping?" He shook his head.

"No, it's important that you let me know what is and is not acceptable."

"I know. I also know you'll respect my decisions. I'd like to keep exploring for now if that's ok?" She asked tentatively.

"You're the boss." He said smugly.

"Funny." She replied sarcastically in response to his bad pun. She stood and pulled him to his feet. She led him to her bed and directed him to lie down…

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A/N: I was nice and gave you two chapters in the same day. Yes, I know what I did was cruel, but I do make up for it in the next chapter. The entire thing will continue where this left off. No interruptions, I promise. Even my beta yelled at me when I sent this to her. :) Please leave me a review. If you do, then I'll be nice and post again in the morning. :) Have a great day! Kelly


	16. Chapter 16

When he lay on the bed as directed, Sara crawled on top of him again.

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Unless I get called into work, yes, I will be here." He assured her. She bent her head to capture his lips and his arms wrapped around her. He rubbed her back for a bit.

"May I?" He asked referring to the green satin acting as a bump on the smooth plane of her back. She nodded and sat up and he slowly dragged the garment down her arms. He then sat up and placed one hand over her heart. With deliberate slowness, he moved to her now bare breast. He felt her nipple harden in response to his touch. He kept his eyes on her face to look for any clues that he was advancing too fast. Her eyes were closed and her hands were lost in his salt-n-pepper curls. Sitting on the bed was beginning to hurt his back, so he guided her down.

"Stop." Immediately, he was off of her and even went to get his shirt from the floor in the other room for her. She covered herself, but did not put it on. She knew he was physically aroused; having felt the evidence on her leg. Most men would have argued at this point, but not Gil. His respect for her and her desires just made her love him even more.

"Are you still uncomfortable on the bottom?" He asked and sat down to face her.

"I guess I am."

"I'll remember that for next time. Excuse me for a minute." He stood up to leave.

"Gil, wait." He shifted uncomfortably in his pants.

"Yes?"

"Let me try the top." She said.

"Are you sure?" Sara nodded and discarded the shirt. He lay back down again and pulled her down with him. Again, he followed her lead on where he was allowed to touch. She sat up and trailed her hands down his body. She reached behind her to pull his socks off, then her own. She got up from him and opened a drawer.

"I'll be right back. Don't move."

"Ok." He waited and almost two minutes later, Sara reappeared in nothing but a pair of boxers covering her panties. She hovered over him and stared into his eyes as she popped the button on his pants then lowered the zipper. She broke hr gaze to look at where her hand was.

"Purple, interesting. I just learned something new. Pants off." She commented on the color of his boxers and then ordered him. He lifted his hips to aide her in the removal of his clothes. He heard a muffled jingle and a thump when his keys, wallet, and cell phone hit the floor in his pants pockets. He knew what she was staring at especially since there was no hiding the tent he pitched with his arousal.

Sara laid her body flush with his, fusing their mouths together. She spent time in familiar territory mainly because his hands were mimicking her movements. He could tell she was tensing up, so he took his hands from her body. She watched him grab onto the bars of her headboard.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"You were getting uncomfortable."

"Why do you think that?" She asked.

"You were getting tense. This way, you can go at your own pace." His observations earned him a smile.

"Thank you." Sara kissed him and in a display of trust, took off her shorts. He admired the blue satin as it came to rest on his purple boxers.

"I love you Gil."

"I love you too, Sara." They had both whispered it. She kissed her way down his body. She reached his boxers and glanced up at him. His eyes were closed, but his hands had a white-knuckled grip on the bars. For her, this was the moment of truth. She carefully pulled the fabric away from his body and down his legs. She heard his intake of breath and saw the pinnacle of his arousal stand at attention for her. She quietly stood and removed the last barrier between them. Next, she spread his legs and settled between them.

Grissom was an impressive sight. Sara never noticed when he opened his eyes to watch her. She reached out to touch him and he gasped at the contact. She stroked him and he moaned. Seeing him still gripping the bars made her decide to join with him. She used her own abundant wetness to lubricate him. Again, he moaned pleasurably. Grissom felt her shift around his hips and opened his eyes again just in time to see Sara lower herself onto his body. Watching one of his favorite body parts enter her body almost made him lose control right then and there. He figured that was one more reason added to the list that made him glad he wasn't a teenager any longer. It was difficult for him to keep his hands where they were and maintain control of his body at the same time.

Her movement forced him to look at her face. Her eyes were closed and she had one hand on her chest for balance while the other massaged her own body. He moaned and used his hips to meet her thrusts. Sara looked down and freed his hands. She bent down to kiss him and kept a firm grip on his hands. When she sat up again, she brought one of his hands to where they were joined.

"Touch me." She commanded breathlessly. Willingly doing as he was told, he started off slow. At this point, they were both moaning without remorse. It only took a few swipes with his finger for her to climax. Her muscles spasming around him caused him to arch up and explode in her. She collapsed on his chest and he welcomed the weight.

"Will this happen every time I take you to a movie?" He asked and they both chuckled tiredly.

"Maybe." She disengaged from him and lay in the safety of his arms.

"You promise?" She asked.

"I promise." He said and reached down to his pants. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and turned it off. He held her and they fell asleep quickly.

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A/N: There, you have your smut; now you have to tell me if it was as good for you as it was for me. (j/k) Just a review is all I need. Have a great day! Kelly.

p.s. the next chapter is the epilogue!


	17. Chapter 17

EPILOGUE

It took another month before Sara was ready to be receptive in their love-making. Jeanette was pleased with their progress both individually and as a couple. The team was thrilled and not at all surprised by the news of their relationship. Ecklie had no choice but to accept it. Even he could see all the positive effect it had. Grissom was ready to take the next step with her and confided in Catherine about it. She offered to help him pick out a ring, which he politely declined. He took Sara out for a recreation of their first date.

"Sara, I brought you out here for a reason." He began and was glad that she couldn't see his face at the moment. She was propped up against him and they were looking away from the strip to gaze at the stars.

"Alright."

"I feel like we've come full circle. On our first date, we were very nervous. We've gradually explored our trust in one another and in my eyes; it's been a worthwhile investment."

"I agree." She said.

"I love you, Sara."

"I love you too, Gil."

"I have a question for you."

"Ok." He gently turned her to face him.

"I'm hoping that you will still be agreeable." He started and pushed himself up on one knee. Her eyes widened.

"Will you marry me?" He didn't have the chance to take the little black box from his pocket when her arms wrapped around him.

"Yes!" He smiled and returned her kisses. When the kiss broke, he pulled his grandmother's ring out and placed it on her finger. She pulled him by his shirt so he lay on top of her. Sara realized the last of her insecurities has just been shed. She'll never be alone. They ended up making love right there on the blanket before going to work.

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The next week, Sara met Gil's mother. He had taken her to California for a weekend. Gil was right; Sara and his mother hit it off perfectly. He felt like he spent that weekend in hell. Two women that had some serious dirt ganged up on him, and he had no escape route. Sara made it up to him with a "private" picnic. That made the whole trip entirely worth it.

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The team helped her move most of her things back into Grissom's place. Gil and Sara melded their belongings together after each of them had made concessions on furniture. The unwanted furniture was picked up by good-will. They were married one month later at the lab so everyone could attend. Some people thought that they would get married and then go back to work. Gil and Sara proved them wrong by getting married at the end of a shift so they could go home and celebrate their legal union with a physical union. Almost one year later, Sara became pregnant. Gil was excited as well as his mother and the rest of the team. They had chosen not to find out the sex of the baby even though everyone wanted them to. Gil learned that once Sara put her foot down, it became law. Nick and Greg were a little slow on the uptake and frequently were seen rubbing the back of their heads.

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Sara was almost ready to deliver and currently resting in bed. Grissom sat deep in thought about how much his life had changed after meeting Sara as well as all the changes she has gone through.

"Hey, what are you doing?" He was ripped back to reality by her soft voice. He looked up to see her hanging on the doorjamb. He smiled at her.

"I was just thinking .I thought you were resting?" He asked and stood up to join her. His hand landed on the large belly.

"I was lonely. Come back to bed." He led her back to bed and joined her. He spooned her back and let their hands intertwine on her belly. The baby kicked at them, just like everyday when they went to bed. They had the nursery finished with neutral colors. Sara wouldn't let him paint any bugs in there until they knew the sex. She had three weeks to go and he had developed a new routine of late. He waited until he knew Sara was asleep and then tried to convince the baby to come early. He had never thought that he would ever be a father, but he also never thought that he would ever be married either. Life just throws you curve balls and you have to decide whether or not to swing for the fences. He fell asleep with a smile, realizing that all of his dreams have or were about to come true.

The End

(4-22-07)

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A/N: So now this is the part that you tell me what you thought of our journey together. I have the next fic already going and will start posting it tomorrow. A few of you have been given a preview, so tell your friends. It will be GSR (naturally) but it will be more humorous than angsty and everyone could use a laugh.

Here's a little recap: How could Grissom, Sara, and Catherine all be related? Through their children of course. :) Want more details, tune in tomorrow. The twists and turns start in in the first chapter. :)


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